The Brightwaters resident was gigging at a Sydney hotel when he was approached by two young musos - Malcom and Angus Young - who wanted a jam session.

"At the end of the night the hotel manager said 'that was really good, do you want to play here regularly?'

"My mate Neil played bass and we'd had fun with the Young brothers so we said we'd give it a go."

Within weeks the band's popularity soared, and the boys hit the road to share their unique sound.

"Sometimes we'd have to sneak Angus in because he was too young to go to the pubs. Then there was the night he put on that school boy uniform and it created an instant vibe.

"The boys were wild to a degree. But Angus was always cool calm and collected. He didn't drink and he had his sights set on international fame."

Taylor says he was surprised at how quickly the band achieved fame.

"I remember one night when we'd just done a gig in Newcastle supporting Sherbet who were already pretty famous. We were waiting out the side of the theatre after we finished our set and a whole heap of girls spotted us," he said.

"They started screaming and yelling 'there they are' and running after us.

"We were signing autographs and being chased it was like I was in a movie."

But the fairytale ended during an audition in front of two music industry big wigs.

"Neil had trouble with his gear and ended up having to play a different bass which put him off. He was nervous and had a really hard time. Bass and drums are tightly linked and the producers told Angus that they needed to get rid of the rhythm section," he said.

"Neil always blamed himself and says he cost me a spot in the band, but that's all history.

"If I'd known it was going to be one of the top three rock bands in the world, I might have fought a bit harder to stay in the lineup."

Taylor is philosophical about losing his spot in one of Australia's most popular bands.

"There are drawbacks to being famous. I can just go down to the shop but they have to stay pretty reclusive," he said.

"I'm happy with the way my life turned out. I have no regrets, though the money would be great. It was just nice to be there in the beginning and be part of the AC/DC foundation."

Taylor works as a local drum teacher. For lesson enquiries phone 4973 1501.